My first trip to India was way back in the 80s when I was just out of the university. Since then lots have changed. Then I had gone with my boyfriend; now I am married with two kids, have a teaching job in a college and have a husband who is the strictest follower of his daily time table. So this time when I planned a trip to India I had to ensure that it is devoid of the ‘wildness’ and the uncertainties of my post university days. Since I wanted to play it safe this time, I promptly looked up the internet for some of the best hotels in India. On my earlier trip I had visited Goa and I remember spending a night in a beachside shack. But this time round I knew my room had to have a bathroom with a tub and television.
Our trip was centered around Rajasthan this time and since Rajasthan has some of the best heritage hotels in India, and I wanted to get a feel of the much talked about royal tradition, I booked a room at the Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur. And trust me the regalia was simply mind blowing. The hotel was the erstwhile palace of the king of Jodhpur and is now a five star heritage hotel owned by a renowned Indian hotel group. The hotel is housed in a huge pink sandstone palace and the rooms are all very elegant. I particularly liked the spa. For all those who are afraid the Indian cuisine is too spice needn’t bother since you get all types of food at the restaurants of the good hotels in India. However, though my husband preferred to stick to his cheese and bread and pork and chicken I tried quite a few Indian dishes. One of them was a local kebab- roasted meat nuggets which I remember the most of all.
In fact all the other hotels that we put up at during our eighteen day long trip was very much worth the money they charged and I must say that the hotels in India have come a long way in the past twenty years. With the assurance of such good hotels in India, even my husband is willing to go back.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Hotels in India experience
Wildlife in India
As an amateur wildlife photographer, I have been covering wildlife in India for the past ten years. During this period, I have visited some of the best known protected forests in the country, thanks to the several India wildlife tour packages. It is well known that India has one of the most diverse wildlife in the world. Personally, I would always prefer wildlife in India as my subjects than go to any other country. Corbett, Sariska, Ranthambore, Bandhavgah and Periyar are my personal favorites, and my flash cards are full of images I am yet to edit from my last visit to Periyar in February. During my last few India wildlife tours, I have learnt to look beyond the obvious in the jungles of India. I have found out that the most intriguing moments that go beyond the simple snapshots of the wildlife make far better subjects. For example, while covering Gir, the last refuge of the Asiatic Lion, I came to know of tribal people called Siddis. They speak the local language, but are of African origin, their Negroid features giving away their origin. The pictures of these people have received more positive comments from most of my friends and colleagues. Similarly, during my last visit to Bhandhavgarh in Central India, one of my Indian friends advised me to do a feature on the tribes of a place called Bastar. Some of those pictures found their way to a photography salon in Kolkata that year. These and a few other experiences have made me realize that there is more to wildlife in India than the animals, plants and birds. These tribes have coexisted with the animals since the prehistoric ages, and it is sad to see some of these tribes being relocated to unknown territory to make way for wildlife sanctuaries. By looking beyond the forests, I have also learnt to understand the intricate relations between the various factors that make up a region’s eco-system. Hopefully, in the up-coming visits to some of the forests in South India, I can capture some more subjects that go beyond the obvious attractions of the wild. I also aspire to use these images as tools of awareness about these lesser known aspects of wildlife in India.
